During the past two weeks, additions to hope1842.com pages include: The Missing Statue of General Draper (An article printed in Massachusetts Monuments, 1910. Thanks to Peter Metzke of Melbourne, Australia for sending it.) .) Thanks to John Longo for photos that have been added to The Mellen Street BridgeThe 1955 Flood in SpindlevilleThe Blizzard of '78Deaths<><><><><><><><><><>Twenty-five years ago - November 1992 - Bill Clinton defeats George H. W. Bush and Ross Perot in the 1992 Presidential ElectionA report by the World Meteorological Organization reports an unprecedented level of ozone depletion in both the Arctic and Antarctic.The Czechoslovakia Federal Assembly votes to split the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia,Fifty years ago - November 1967 - President Lyndon B. Johnson holds a secret meeting with a group of the nation's most prestigious leaders ("the Wise Men") and asks them to suggest ways to unite the American people behind the war effort. They conclude that the American people should be given more optimistic reports on the progress of the war.The "population clock" of the United States Census Bureau records the U.S. population at 200 million people.General William Westmoreland tells news reporters: "I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing."Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announces his resignation to become president of the World Bank. McNamara's resignation follows U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson's outright rejection of McNamara's early November recommendations to freeze troop levels, stop the bombing of North Vietnam, and hand over ground fighting to South Vietnam.Senator Eugene McCarthy announces his candidacy for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, challenging incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson over the Vietnam War.

The news items above are from Wikipedia.. Below this text box you'll find Hopedale news from 25 and 50 years ago (Milford Daily News), and 100 years ago (Milford Gazette).<><><><><><><><><><>

More Draper Letters

My dear Mr. Draper: You can hardly imagine how pleased I was to meet you the other morning, and find you just the same pleasant, courteous gentleman that you were the first time I saw you. I know you will ask, "Why shouldn't I be?" Well, first, you are a very rich man; then, you have served with great distinction in Congress; you have filled a high diplomatic position abroad; and lastly you have taken on the culture of travel. And all these things fell off you, as if they were not, and you met with as much cordiality as if I was in the same social set as yourself. We commoners are sensitive to the social barometer. I have had the good fortune to meet some persons who had won distinction through the possession of brains, and I found the finer the culture to which those brains had been subjected the simpler and more unpretentious the owners became; but when men have only money, they act as if it constituted them a superior class. It is not usually agreeable to meet them. But you: Ah! well, it brightened all that day, just to meet you. I think now, that unless something unforeseen happens, I shall come to Hopedale next Sunday and attend services in that beautiful church. I hope you go to church yourself, sometimes, and if so I may have the privilege of seeing you across the church. Shall not come if it rains. Ever since I went over to your beautiful village, I have hoped to repeat the visit, that I might see more of it than was possible from our windows. It struck me the people there know how to inherit the earth, and had made their portion of it a joy forever, as all beautiful things are. I have just learned that you are to preside at a rally in Milford next week Friday, and John L. Bates is to speak. Shall try to see you from the audience at that time. But next Sunday I hope you will permit me to see you across the church, at least that is what I am writing this letter for. Sincerely yours,H.B. Hastings

This undated letter had been saved with a few others; some that had been written to and others, by, Gen. William F. Draper. The context indicates that the letter above must have been written in the first decade of the twentieth century. A search for H. B. Hastings in the Milford directory for 1904-5 was unsuccessful. The only Hastings listing was; Hastings, James E., machinist Draper Co. house 54 Fruit

In the letter below, Clare Draper was writing from Vanderbilt Hall, Yale.

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Vanderbilt Hall

January 14, 1900Dear Father: I thank you and Susan very much for your Christmas present. It came in very opportunely, especially as my common stock has not paid any dividends for some time. I was also very pleased to get my first letter from Margaret. (Margaret was Clare's half-sister. She was the daughter of the general and his second wife, Susan Preston.) She writes better, I think, even now, than any of her brothers except perhaps Frank (William Franklin Draper, Jr.,) and puts me completely to shame. Vacation is over, and I am comparatively hard at work again. The present term is the longest and dullest of this year, and is only broken by the Junior Promenade festivities, which come the week after next. This will not mean so much to me, as I do not intend to take a girl. Those who do will be put at a heavy expense for two or three days, and will presumably have a proportionately better time; then comes the Club pool and billiards tournaments, and then nothing startling until the Easter vacation. Before coming back, I spent a couple of days at Otis's [Clare's brother, George Otis Draper] and had aninteresting talk with him concerning my future business prospects. There seems to be a good chance forme, if I am of any use. Of course, you have seen about your name being proposed for Vice President. What do you think of the idea? I am somewhat in doubt as to whether I shall go to Europe next summer or not, owing to the Exposition, which I am not anxious to see, high prices and etc., but probably shall go if I find a friend desirous of taking the same kind of a trip that I wish to take. If I decide instead to go into business right away, I presume that you will give me the money that you promised me for the trip. What I have said is, of course, conditional partly upon whether you decide to come home next summer for good or not, for if I should be able to see you abroad, it would put another face upon the matter. There is nothing further that I can think of just now, so giving my love to Susan and Margaret, I willsubscribe myself Your loving son, Clare H. Draper